Florida to MarylandSea Sense is teaching weeklong passagemaking courses this spring aboard a 40-foot Endeavour trawler catamaran, offering an opportunity to learn in a real-time environment with professional instructors.“We have met many boaters who, for one reason or another, have not yet gone beyond their home cruising grounds or out the inlet into the ocean,” says Capt. Carol Cuddyer, co-founder of Sea Sense. “This course will give them the knowledge and confidence to take that next step.”The boat will make its way from Florida to Maryland in four legs:• April 28-May 4: St. Petersburg to St. Augustine, Fla. (via the Okeechobee Waterway)• May 6-12: St. Augustine to Wrightsville Beach, N.C.• May 13-19: Wrightsville Beach to Norfolk, Va.• May 21-27: Norfolk to BaltimoreCost is $4,250 a person per leg, which includes on-board accommodations, docking and fuel costs, and most meals. For information, call (800) 332-1404 or (727) 289-6917. www.seasenseboating.com

Fire destroys historic boatyard buildingFalmouth, Mass.An early January fire tore through a boatyard warehouse in Falmouth, Mass., that had stood since the 1930s. Firefighters from five departments responded to the blaze at the Quissett Harbor Boatyard. Flames reached well above the building and were visible miles away, the Cape Cod Times reported.No one was in the warehouse, which served as a workshop and provided storage for boats and equipment, when the Jan. 4 fire started. “It’s quite a shame,” says Weatherly Dorris, who owns the yard. “This is a very dear, old building.”Dorris says she has insurance on the building, which town assessors valued at about $205,000, but the boats and gear inside were of great value.

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Crewmembers from Coast Guard Aids to Navigation Team Chincoteague, Va., and Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., install an aid at the north jetty in Ocean City, Md. The temporary aid replaced one that was lost in Hurricane Irene.

Maryland solo sailor rounds Cape HornMatt Rutherford, a 30-year-old Marylander, rounded Cape Horn in early January on the final leg of a 300-day circumnavigation of North and South America in a 27-foot Albin Vega. He began his voyage last June, and when he finishes this spring he will be the first person to do the 25,000-mile voyage alone and without stopping.Rutherford says his motivation for the voyage is to show people that there are no limits to what can be accomplished in life and to raise money for Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating, a non-profit sailing program for people with disabilities that is based in Annapolis, Md. He does not have a disability.“In sailing terms, rounding the Horn is the most difficult left-hand turn a sailor can make, and taking that turn single-handedly is nothing short of remarkable,” says Gary Jobson, the president of US Sailing. “Matt’s journey in a 40-year-old, 27-foot sailboat through treacherous, deep ocean waters, completely alone for 300 days is one for the record books. He is truly proving that there are no limits to what a person can do.”Donations can be made at www.crab-sailing.org or by calling (410) 626-0273. Follow Rutherford’s voyage through his blog at www.solotheamericas.org.

Fund established in sailor’s nameWhen Mark “Rudi” Rudiger, a top-flight competitive sailor, sought-after navigator and beloved member of the sailing community, died of lymphoma in 2008, at age 53, the outpouring of support for the Californian and his family inspired the creation of a fund to give back to the sailing industry.Last summer, Rudi’s Mates: The Mark Rudiger Sailing Family Fund was officially launched as a foundation and began to solicit donations. The vision is to build a standing fund to help workers in the sailing industry who face a financial crisis.Rudiger became ill in 2004, but returned to racing after chemotherapy, navigating for the Ericsson team in the last two legs of the 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race and on Brack Duker’s Santa Cruz 70, Holua, in the 2007 Transpac and 2008 Vallarta races. The foundation is soliciting donations for the coming year. For information, visit www.rudismates.org.

Hinckley, Outer Reef reach service agreementEast CoastHinckley Yacht Services will provide commissioning, warranty and service work for Outer Reef Yachts at Hinckley’s eight East Coast facilities, according to Outer Reef.“Hinckley and Outer Reef share a similar passion for client satisfaction and high-quality boatbuilding,” Outer Reef president and CEO Jeff Druek says.Each Hinckley location will have a designated Outer Reef representative to assist with service needs. “We look forward to working closely with Outer Reef Yachts to ensure we have the skills and inventory necessary in each of our yards to help enhance the ownership experience of Outer Reef owners,” Hinckley president Jim McManus says.

Bavaria Yachts plans factory-direct salesNortheast, Great Lakes, CaliforniaGerman sailboat builder Bavaria Yachts plans to open factory-direct locations in Newport, R.I., the Great Lakes (Chicago) and the San Francisco Bay area by the end of the year. Last year, Bavaria Yachts USA launched a new direct-business model, starting with its flagship location in Annapolis, Md.Based on the demand and market feedback from the premiere of the Cruiser line at the 2011 U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Bavaria is expanding its sales/service/charter footprint to directly serve the Northeast, Great Lakes and Northern California markets, the company says.The new locations will offer sales of Bavaria sailboats, the ability to charter a new Bavaria, opportunities for owners to put their boats into charter to defray expenses and customer service focusing solely on Bavaria owners. Each new location will include a dedicated Horizon Yacht Charters base. www.bavaria yachts.com